It is often the smallest things that get overlooked, and life in the soil is probably the most neglected habitat of all. Tilling the soil or weeding the garden puts us in touch with a few members of the soil … Read more
Camping and Backpacking | Climbing | Gardening | Kids and Nature | Paddling | Point Reyes Walkabout | Trails
Resources for Healthy Soil
General Information Sources and Websites Bio-Integral Resource Center www.birc.org (510)524-2567 Extensive information resources for least-toxic pest management. California Integrated Waste Management Board www.ciwmb.ca.gov/organics/gardening Information and resources for organic materials management and home gardening, including grasscycling, home composting, and worm composting. … Read more
Soil-Friendly Practices
Organic matter is the most important part of the soil because it is fodder for the many organisms that keep soil alive and elastic. And because it is consumed by these organisms, soil organic matter needs to be replenished. The … Read more
Soil Matters
We tend to take the ground beneath our feet for granted, but soil is a defining feature of the landscape around us, in the garden and on the trail.
Ascending Franklin Ridge
Nearly 200 years of cattle ranching on the Franklin Ridge has left its mark in human history, altered vegetation, and now, the preservation of a critical open space corridor with sweeping views of the North Bay, Delta, and interior East Bay.
Book Review: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, by Jane Huber, Menasha Ridge Press, 2004, 260 pages, $15.95 (www.menasharidge.com). Jane Huber offers a welcome guide to hikes within a 60-mile radius of the Bay Area’s bustling hub. Huber’s engaging writing neatly melds … Read more
Book Review: Point Reyes: The Complete Guide to the National Seashore & Surrounding Area
Point Reyes: The Complete Guide to the National Seashore & Surrounding Area, by Jessica Lage, Wilderness Press, 2004, 250 pages, $15.95 (www.wildernesspress.com). Although visitors to the Point Reyes National Seashore can enjoy the landscape without any particular knowledge of the … Read more
Book Review: Tom Stienstra’s Bay Area Recreation
Tom Stienstra’s Bay Area Recreation, by Tom Stienstra, Foghorn Outdoors, 2004, 498 pages, $19.95 (www.foghorn.com). In introducing his newest guide-book, Tom Stienstra writes, “Like many people, at one time I believed there was no place left to go in … Read more
Book Review: Top Trails: San Francisco Bay Area
Top Trails: San Francisco Bay Area, by David Weintraub, Wilderness Press, 2004, 294 pages, $13.95 (www.wildernesspress.com). Bay Area day hikers, take note — and take a look at one of the first releases of Wilderness Press’s newest series of trail … Read more
Book Review: The Best in Tent Camping, Northern California
The Best in Tent Camping: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos: Northern California, by Hans and Jane Huber and Bill Mai, Menasha Ridge Press, 2004, 192 pages, $14.95 (www.menasharidge.com). Whether you’re an … Read more